Safety blanket assembly

ABSTRACT

A safety blanket assembly includes a blanket and a frame that engages the blanket to limit the distortion or bundling of the blanket. The blanket has an outer perimeter that is surrounded by a border to receive a substantially U-shaped frame. The frame is insertable into the hollow border of the blanket to keep three of the four sides of the blanket stiff and prevent the blanket from wrapping around a child covered by the blanket.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS

This patent application claims priority from U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 60/687,682, filed on Jun. 6, 2005, which is herebyincorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to blankets, and more specifically, to asafety blanket for use by an infant or child, and even morespecifically, to a blanket that will not entangle and harm and infant orchild.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Parents want to make sure that their infant or toddler is kept warmwhile reclining in a crib or bed, and therefore they frequently wraptheir child in a blanket like an adult. However, one significant riskfor babies while in a crib is suffocation in soft bedding, such asquilts, comforters, sheepskins, pillows, pillow-like stuffed toys, andother soft products that may keep the baby from breathing easily. Withrespect to blankets and quilts, the infant may easily entangle himselfor herself as the baby rolls in the crib, thereby creating anopportunity for suffocation in the proximate sheet. Consequently,experts recommend that if a blanket or sheet is to be used in a crib,the parents should make sure the blanket is tucked in around the cribmattress to prevent the infant from pulling it forward above theinfant's chest. Even with such instructions and warnings, it is stillpossible for the sheet to become un-tucked and flexible for the baby topull around his or her head, once again endangering the child.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A safety blanket assembly is described that helps to keep infants andchildren warm while protecting the child from suffocation and harm byrestricting a blanket from twisting or tangling around the head of thecovered child. The safety blanket assembly includes the blanket and aframe that engages the blanket to limit the distortion or bundling ofthe blanket by the covered infant. The blanket has an outer perimeterthat is surrounded by a border to receive the frame. The frame issubstantially U-shaped, and therefore insertable into the hollow borderof the blanket to keep three of the four sides of the blanket stiff andprevent the blanket from wrapping around the child.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A safety blanket embodying the features of the present invention isdepicted in the accompanying drawings, which form a portion of thisdisclosure, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the safety blanket of thepresent invention; and

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the safety blanket illustrated inFIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present invention of a safety blanket assembly 10 is illustrated inFIGS. 1 and 2. The safety blanket assembly 10 helps to keep infants andchildren warm while protecting the child from suffocation and harm byrestricting a blanket 12 from twisting or tangling around the head ofthe covered child. In particular, the safety blanket assembly 10includes the blanket 12 and a frame 14 that engages the blanket 12 tolimit the distortion of the blanket 12 by the covered infant.

Looking to FIG. 1, the safety blanket 12 may be rectangular in shapewith a slightly rounded bottom edge created by a seam 17 around theblanket 12 that may create a border 16. In one embodiment, themeasurements of the blanket 12 are between twenty-four to thirty-sixinches in width by approximately forty-two inches in length, althoughany particular dimensions may be set by the producer. The dimensions ofthe aforementioned embodiment help to ensure that the blanket 12 issized to provide adequate coverage for an infant or young child. Thedimensions of the blanket 12 are approximate and could be adjusted asnecessary during the pre-production phase to ensure that the safetyblanket 12 functions as intended for a child having a particular age.

Referring to FIG. 2, the blanket 12 includes a base portion 12 b and atop portion 12 t, with the base and top portions 12 b, 12 t being madeof a fabric such as flannel, which would be comfortable to the childsince it is soft and warm. Other fabric options for the blanket couldinclude cotton fabrics or cotton blends, silk, satin, or another fabricused with conventional blankets, and the base and top portion 12 b, 12 tmay be made of independent fabrics. However, the fabric chosen for usein the production of the safety blanket 12 of the safety blanketassembly 10 should meet safety requirements for flammability. The fabricshould additionally be machine washable and should resist shrinking andfading. In addition, a cushioning material 22 may be placed b/t base andtop portions 12 b, 12 t to provide insulation for the blanket 12.

As noted above and shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the safety blanket 12additionally has a border 16 that surrounds the entire outer perimeterof the blanket 12. The border 16 may be a part of the blanket 12, ormade of satin for functionality and appearance, although other cottonfabrics could be used as well. This border 16 is designed to house therigid frame 14 that sets this blanket assembly 10 apart from a standardbaby blanket design. Thus, the border 16 itself could house a frame 14,or the blanket 12 may simply include the two abutting sheets 12 b, 12 tthat are joined by a connector 20, such as a zipper, button, or hook andloop material, such that the frame 14 would fit between the two sheets12 b, 12 t.

Looking to FIG. 1, the frame 14 includes three components, namely, abase 14 b and two arms 14 a extended therefrom in a common direction, tocreate a U-shape or horseshoe shape. The length of the base 14 b of theframe 14 may be approximately twenty-four to twenty-six inches in lengthby approximately twenty inches, although this width of the frame 14 willgenerally correspond with the width of the blanket 12 as set by theproducer. The frame 14 may be made of a variety of materials, such asplastic or some other resin material, such that it is stiff orsubstantially rigid yet still flexible or bendable. For example, theframe 14 could be made of a hard yet flexible plastic known by thetrademark Lexan, or some other similar material. As a variation, itshould be noted that the plastic frame 14 could be replaced with asofter material that would serve as the frame and would restrict roll-upof the blanket.

A portion or all of the frame 14 may be covered with a padded material18, such as foam, which would is further encased by the border 16 (seeFIG. 3). For example, this padded material 18 may engage six inches ofeach arm 14 a from the free end, or it may engage the whole arm 14 a,whichever is desired by the user. This padded material 18 furtherprotects the child being covered by the safety blanket 12 from engaginghard edges of the frame 14 and provides a comfortable edge for the childto engage.

A zipper 20 or other connection member may be sewn in the bottom border16 b adjacent the bottom of the safety blanket 12. The zipper 20 securesthe frame 14 within the border 16 of the safety blanket assembly 12after it has been inserted into the safety blanket 12.

To insert the frame 14 into the safety blanket 12, the user will unzipor disconnect the zippered edge along the bottom border 16 b. The userwill then align the free ends of the arms 14 a of the frame 14 with theopen satin border 16 of the safety blanket 12, and the frame 14 is thenslid into the openings of the border 16 along the length of the safetyblanket 12 and according to the length of the arms 14 a of the frame 14.The zipper 20 is then zipped to close the bottom edge 16 b of the safetyblanket 12, so that the safety blanket 12 has a substantially firm orrigid edge along two sides and base of the safety blanket 12 to preventthe safety blanket 12 from being bundled together The frame 14 couldthen be removed as necessary when it is time to launder or store theblanket 12.

Consequently, when the safety blanket assembly 10 is assembled, it maybe placed on the chest of an infant or child to warm and protect theinfant while keeping the blanket 12 in a substantially stretchedposition. While stretched by the frame 14, the infant will not be ableto become entangled in the blanket 12 as the infant moves about in thecrib, allowing parents to be confident that the infant will notsuffocate or be harmed by having such a blanket 12 in the child's crib.

While this invention has been described with reference to preferredembodiments thereof, it is to be understood that variations andmodifications can be affected within the spirit and scope of theinvention as described herein and as described in the appended claims.

1. A safety blanket assembly for protecting a child from suffocation comprising: a blanket having an outer perimeter; a hollow border surrounding the outer perimeter of said blanket; and a frame insertable into the hollow border to prevent said blanket from wrapping around the child.
 2. The safety blanket assembly of claim 1, wherein said frame comprises: a base; and two cantilever arms extending from said base in the same direction.
 3. The safety blanket assembly of claim 1, wherein said frame is substantially U-shaped.
 4. The safety blanket assembly of claim 1, wherein said frame is substantially rigid.
 5. The safety blanket assembly of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of said frame is covered with a padded material.
 6. The safety blanket assembly of claim 1 wherein said blanket comprises a top layer and a bottom layer.
 7. The safety blanket assembly of claim 6 further comprising a cushioning material between said top layer and said bottom layer.
 8. The safety blanket assembly of claim 1 wherein said border comprises: a hollow bottom border portion; and a connector extending along said bottom border portion to open said bottom border portion.
 9. The safety blanket assembly of claim 8 wherein said connector comprises a zipper.
 10. A safety blanket assembly for protecting a child from suffocation comprising: a hollow blanket having a top layer and a bottom layer, said hollow blanket having an outer perimeter; and a frame insertable into the hollow blanket to prevent said blanket from wrapping around the child.
 11. The safety blanket assembly of claim 10, wherein said frame comprises: a base; and two cantilever arms extending from said base in the same direction.
 12. The safety blanket assembly of claim 10, wherein said frame is substantially U-shaped.
 13. The safety blanket assembly of claim 10, wherein said frame is substantially rigid.
 14. The safety blanket assembly of claim 10 wherein at least a portion of said frame is covered with a padded material.
 15. The safety blanket assembly of claim 10 further comprising a cushioning material between said top layer and said bottom layer of said blanket.
 16. The safety blanket assembly of claim 10 further comprising a seam proximate outer perimeter of said hollow blanket, said seam forming a border about said outer perimeter.
 17. The safety blanket assembly of claim 16 wherein said border comprises a hollow bottom border portion and a connector sealing said bottom border portion.
 18. The safety blanket assembly of claim 17 wherein said connector comprises a zipper. 